


Falling in Love Through Empty Pages

by JojoPark7



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: #LegaciesHufflepuff, Books, F/F, Fluff, Letters, Posie Endgame, Pre posie dating, Strangers, classic lit, eventual meeting, they never dated before this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:09:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24067120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JojoPark7/pseuds/JojoPark7
Summary: In order to get the students at Salvatore to be friendlier to each other, Headmaster Vardemus creates a school-wide activity. Every student is given a spelled journal that will anonymously connect them to another student. The student's jobs are to converse for a week, as strangers, until meeting in person and realizing that there is a lot more to a person than what you presume. Josie and Penelope get to know their anonymous pen-pals, while also getting to know each other in real life without making the connection. When they meet... well, just read to find out :)(Josie and Penelope never dated previous to these letters)
Relationships: Penelope Park & Josie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 5
Kudos: 188





	Falling in Love Through Empty Pages

**Author's Note:**

> Submitted this as another one-shot for the first Legacies Hogwarts House Cup Challenge. #LegaciesHufflepuff
> 
> Enjoy!!

“Listen up!” The new Headmaster of the Salvatore School, Professor Vardemus, shouted across the main hall. The noise died down quickly and all of the students turned their attention to the man behind the podium. 

Professor Vardemus had only been at the school for a week, replacing Dr. Saltzman after an incident deemed him unfit to continue running the school, but the new headmaster had already gained the respect of the students without much effort.

“As you may have heard, I’m going to be making some changes around here. Nothing too big, but I want to focus on really bringing this school and the students together. There was too much drama in the past, too many cliques, too little connection between all of you. We are a school filled with supernaturals and the world outside of Salvatore doesn’t understand us, some even fear us. This means that we need to unite, to have each other’s backs, to stand as one strong force so that if something ever goes wrong, we know that we can count on each other. So that even when you leave these walls after you graduate, you have at least one person that you can turn to as an ally for both supernatural and not supernatural related topics,” Vardemus explained.

The main hall was dead silent, so silent that a pin being dropped could be heard from the opposite side of the room. Everyone’s focus was one what was being said and what it could mean.

Vardemus looked around the room, taking in all of the student’s expressions, “Some of you look terrified by this idea, but I promise you it will be fun,” Vardemus paused, “I’ve worked with some of the teachers to put together a school-wide project. Each of you will leave this assembly with a journal. It’s been spelled and linked to another journal. The only people who will be able to see what you write in it is yourself and the owner of the corresponding journal. Each passage will appear in both journals but no one else, not even myself, can see what you write. Just you and your anonymous partner.”

A few heads started turning, students whispering to each other, hoping to get one of their friends as their partner. One student raised their hand and waited until the headmaster nodded towards them to speak, “So, do we get to pick our partners?”

“No. That’s the fun part of all of this,” Vardemus chuckled, “There are three rules. Number one, no bullying, no harassment, no judgment. Number two, you must reply. And number three, you cannot tell your partner who you are or even hint to who you are. In one weeks’ time, you and your partner will decide on a location and a time and you will meet. The point of this exercise is that each of you that you don’t know the students of this school as well as you may think. Your partner could be someone that you speak to every day and you’ll realize just how little you actually know about them. Or it could be someone you’ve never spoken to and you’ll find that they are one of the most interesting and wonderful people you’ve ever met,” Vardemus paused again and looked around the room at the eager students, “You’re all dismissed. Make sure you take a journal on your way out from boxes by the exits.”

Josie turned to her sister, Lizzie, who had been rolling her eyes the entire time that Vardemus had been talking, “I think this is going to be fun!”

“No it won’t,” Lizzie scoffed, “With my luck, I’m going to get stuck talking to some loser for a whole week. If Dad were still here, we wouldn’t have to do anything like this.”

“Lizzie, just give it a chance,” Josie sighed. She could feel her sister’s disapproval dampening her own excitement, but Josie refused to let her sister ruin this for her, “You heard Professor Vardemus... This is all about not judging someone by the little knowledge you have of them.”

“Whatever,” Lizzie said, “I’ll just keep my replies short and go about my life,” With that, Lizzie stood up and stormed away from her sister. Josie watched as she left, disappointed that her sister hadn’t been able to see the bright side of things since their father was forced to step down.

Josie stood up as well and started making her way out of the main hall, filing in line with the rest of the students to get a journal. Just as she grabbed one from the box and went to turn the corner, she walked right into someone. The journal went flying out of her hand and slid across the wood floor.

“I’m so sorry!” Josie apologized. She looked up to see the person that she had run into and when their eyes met, Josie’s breath got caught up in her throat.

Penelope Park was standing opposite of her, one hand on each of Josie’s shoulders to keep her from tumbling down after their collision. There was a small smirk on the shorter girl’s face as she said, “You alright there, Jojo?”

“Um, I… Uh, yeah. I’m fine,” Josie sputtered out, “You know who I am?” She asked, looking confused.

“Yeah,” Penelope laughed, releasing Josie’s shoulders from her grip once she was sure the other girl was steady, “You gave me a tour of the school when I first transferred here and we had Chemistry of Magic together last year.”

“I know,” Josie ducked her head in embarrassment, “Most people just tend to forget about me and fall all over Lizzie,” Josie mumbled.

Penelope ducked her head as well to try to get Josie to look at her. With a soft smile, she said, “I don’t think that’s possible. It would be pretty hard to forget someone like you.”

A blush crept over Josie’s cheeks and she murmured out a small ‘thank you’. This was the most she had talked to Penelope in years. She hadn’t had a conversation with the shorter witch since the day that she came to Salvatore. Even then, Josie was so shocked by her perfect jawline and her stunning eyes that she was barely able to speak. Josie would see Penelope in the hallway or in the dining room or coming in and out of the bathroom, but she was never able to speak up and say anything to her. She was too nervous, too shy, too scared that Penelope would be like everyone else and push her into the shadows. Instead, Josie did it herself. She avoided the pretty witch so that she wouldn’t have her heart crushed if she were ignored or looked at as not good enough. What Penelope had just said to her, though, made Josie think that she had made a mistake in avoiding the shorter witch for so many years.

Penelope bent down and picked up the journal that Josie had dropped. She handed it to Josie with nothing more than a smile. When Josie took it, she felt the small brush of Penelope’s finger against her own and her heart nearly beat out of her chest. Without a second glance, Josie spun around on her heels and walked off towards her bedroom.

Penelope had watched Josie leave, wearing a big grin, before walking in the opposite direction towards the library. Her group of friends had all been whispering about how dumb Professor Vardemus’s idea was, but Penelope kept quiet. She liked the idea quite a bit. It was something similar to a movie Penelope had loved growing up called  _ The Lake House _ . She knew that she wouldn’t be finding her soulmate by writing to an unknown classmate, but there was something so intriguing about talking to a stranger and learning about who they were. 

Penelope sat down in her normal spot in the library, all the way in the back corner behind the stacks of books. She curled up into the cushioned armchair and took a pen out of her bag to start writing her first journal entry to her secret recipient. Though, when she opened up her journal, she noticed there was already writing in it. New letters appeared every second, forming words and sentences. The handwriting was evidently female, too loopy and neat to be written by any of the boys at Salvatore. Penelope watched as the sentences covered the page, waiting until the writing ceased, to read the full passage, and respond.

About five minutes later, the black ink stopped flowing and the final period was paced. Penelope let her eyes scan back to the top of the page and she began reading.

**Dear Stranger,**

**Normally I’d start off by introducing myself, but that’s not something we’re allowed to do, so maybe I’ll just tell you a little about myself that doesn’t give too much away.**

**Okay… This is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I’m pretty boring. I like books. I love books actually. Reading is probably my favorite pastime. I like to cook, but I tend to light things on fire every time I put something on the stove or in the oven. So I guess I like to cook but I’m bad at it. I also really love learning new things, whether that be in class or on my own time. I know that’s all kind of nerdy, but that’s me.**

**I was really excited to start doing this. Unlike a few people I know, I find this… intriguing? But honestly, now that I’m finally writing it, I’m finding this a lot harder and a lot more frustrating than I thought it would be.**

**Well, I hope to hear back from you. I know this is kind of weird, but I think we can make the most of it and have some fun with it. I can’t wait to find out who I’m writing to.**

**Best,**

**Your New Friend**

Penelope finished reading the letter and couldn’t help but smile at how cute and innocent her new pen pal was. If her friends saw the goofy smile on her face right now, they would never let her live it down. She was the popular girl who everyone followed around. The kind of girl who could command an army of witches with a single look and no one would dare to stand in her way. Some people would call her a ruthless bitch, but that was because no one knew who she really was. They only saw the facade that she put up. The facade that got people to respect her. While she enjoyed that, a part of Penelope wished that she could be more like her true self without people judging her.

This letter writing could be her opportunity to open up and find a new friend who wouldn’t look at her the way that most do. Because she was a stranger to this person, it was like a fresh start for her. 

So, Penelope began to write her response.

_ Hey New Friend, _

_ This is a little weird, I agree. What I disagree with is when you say that you're boring. I got a good laugh out of the fact that you're a pyro in the kitchen. I’d like to hear more about those cooking stories. And maybe when we meet, I can teach you a thing or two about how to work a stove.  _

_ I enjoy reading as well. I’m a big classic literature nerd and Jane Austen has my heart. As I implied earlier, I love to cook and I find that I’m quite good at it. I, unlike you, don’t light things on fire while I’m in the kitchen. And as for school and learning, I don’t think I enjoy it as much as you do. I go to my classes because I have to, but I would much rather sit in my room and read until I’m lost in the wonders that are Regency-era romance novels. And on occasion, I’ll go out to a party at the Old Mill with friends, though I don’t enjoy them as much as everyone thinks that I do. _

_ I should get going because I have a big paper due soon for Advanced Civics that I’ve been procrastinating on. I hope to talk again soon and please be sure to include some more funny stories about nearly burning down the Salvatore school with your killer (literally) kitchen skills. _

_ \-- Stranger _

Penelope closed her journal with a small laugh. Stuffing the journal back into her bag and pulling out her laptop, Penelope got to work on her essay. It wasn’t due for another few days but hearing that her new friend was so driven in school gave Penelope a new found reason to work a little harder in her own classes. She also figured that if she got her paper out of the way now, she would have more time to continue talking to her pen pal.

\---------------

Josie had closed her journal the previous day after finishing her own entry. She spent the rest of the day working on homework until dinner and then went to the dining room with Lizzie. Listening to Lizzie complain wasn’t Josie’s favorite thing to do, but she put up with it because Lizzie was her sister and that’s what sisters were supposed to do. When she had gotten back to their shared room, she decided to read for a little while before going to bed and when she finally did fall asleep, she dreamed of her new pen pal and what they might be like.

When Josie woke this morning, the first thing she did was check her journal, hoping for a response from the stranger. She was pleased to see that the other half of the page was filled with slightly sloppy but almost charming handwriting.

Josie traced the handwriting as she read through the entry. A small smile came across her face, growing wider and wider as she read each line. A small chuckle escaped her lips when she read the final line.

It was Saturday, so breakfast would continue until 11 am and Josie could take some time to respond before having to go and eat. A piece of her hoped that whoever she was talking to would spend most of the day writing back and forth with her. Josie had nothing better to do than write to her new friend all day. 

Picking up the pen that sat next to the journal on her nightstand, Josie continued their conversation.

**Good morning!**

**So, you really want to know more about my cooking incidents? I have a feeling you're going to regret that decision once you hear about some of them. They’re pretty embarrassing. Vardemus specifically said no bullying and no judging in his rules, so you have to promise not to laugh at me too much.**

**The first incident was… interesting. I had just gotten back from a party at the Old Mill and I was just a tad bit tipsy. Whoever said that the munchies only came after getting high was wrong because I was CRAVING! So I went to the kitchen and decided that I wanted eggs and bacon because who wouldn’t want eggs and bacon when they’re drunk. Fun fact, when you can’t find any butter and decide to spray the pan with PAM cooking oil, you should do it AWAY from an open flame. The oil caused the flames to soar out everywhere and lit one of the towels near the stove on fire. The smoke alarm went off and the overhead sprinklers started spraying everything. It was a MESS! I was drunk and I didn’t know what to do so I just ran out of the kitchen and back to my room and hid there until the coast was clear.**

**No one knows it was me, except now you know that. But you don’t actually know who I am, so I guess that’s okay. If in a week when we meet, you decide to turn me in, I’ll be very upset. I’m trusting you with one of my biggest secrets here, stranger. Don’t let me down!**

**Love,**

**Your New Friend**

Just as Josie was about to close her journal and get dressed for breakfast, a few new words appeared on the page. 

_ Good morning to you too. I’ve been up for a while. I decided to get an early start and managed to finish my paper! _

_ More importantly though - I couldn’t help but notice that you said “the first incident”... Exactly how many times have you nearly burned this school down? _

The writing ceased after that question and Josie waited a whole minute to see if the stranger was actually done writing or just pausing. When nothing else appeared on the page, Josie grabbed her pen again, skipped down a line, and wrote:

**7 times.**

_ SEVEN TIMES?!? And you’ve never been caught? _

**Nope. Not once.**

_ Either you’re a great liar or you're a witch and you managed to spell yourself out of trouble the other 6 times. _

**Wouldn’t you like to know ;)**

_ I would… but I’m starving so this will have to wait until I’ve gotten something to eat. I’ll be back in a little while! _

Josie closed her journal giggling at the stranger’s response. She was definitely happy to be paired with someone who found this as fun and interesting as she did. While Josie would have gladly written to anyone for a week, with as little judgment as she could possibly manage, she was very happy that she didn’t get stuck talking to someone who found this exercise boring as her sister did.

Josie took this time away from writing to her new friend, to get dressed and head to the dining hall herself. A piece of her hoped that she would be able to figure out who she had been writing to. That maybe they’d walk in around the same time or that she would overhear someone talking to their friends about what Josie was like.

But these hopes were to no avail because when Josie walked into the dining hall, it was packed and too loud to hear any specific conversations. Josie walked over to the breakfast line and waited behind a group from the wolf pack. They were all sweaty and smelled like dogs which only left Josie to assume that they had just gotten back from their morning workout. This was not good news for her because when the wolves came hungry, they managed to eat everything in sight. Josie would be lucky if she got a bowl of cereal once the wolves had their pickings.

Ten minutes later and frustrated by watching the pack scavenge the breakfast buffet, Josie grabbed a single yogurt because that was all that was left. She left the breakfast line with a huff, taking a spoon as she went, and found an empty table in one of the back corners to sit at.

“Someone looks a little grumpy,” Penelope laughed, plopping down in the seat across from Josie.

Josie looked up, startled by the sudden company. She stared at Penelope for a moment, confused as to what she was doing there, “Hi?”

“Hi,” Penelope responded with more enthusiasm than Josie. She pushed a plate with a chocolate croissant on it towards the grumpy girl, “I managed to grab one of these before the wolves got here. Figured you might like it.”

“Why?” Josie asked. She was still confused as to why Penelope had decided to join her for breakfast. Before yesterday, they hadn’t talked to each other in years.

“Because I saw you get in line behind the wolves and come out looking like you wanted to set someone on fire,” Penelope explained, “I had an extra croissant and you looked like you needed something to make your morning a little better.”

“Oh,” Josie murmured, “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Penelope smiled and then leaned back in her seat, “So, how do you like this whole secret letter thing that Vardemus is making us do?”

“I like the idea. I think it’s fun,” Josie replied, “Lizzie, on the other hand, has done nothing but complain about it,” Josie chuckled, “I guess it’s just not for some people.”

“Yeah, some of my friends weren’t too happy about it either,” Penelope said, looking behind her to see her friends waving for Penelope to come back over. Penelope waved a hand to tell them to stop and then turned her attention back to Josie.

“What about you?” Josie asked. It seemed that Penelope was actually interested in talking to Josie, so Josie decided to keep the conversation going. It was difficult for her because she wasn’t used to people caring about her opinions, especially girls as pretty and as confident as Penelope Park, but Josie wasn’t going to turn down the chance at attention from the hottest witch at school, “What are your thoughts on it?”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Penelope answered, “I kind of like talking to my person.”

“I like mine too,” Josie smiled, “She’s funny and kind of nerdy in her own way.”

“She?” Penelope asked.

“I think so,” Josie nodded, “I’m not 100% sure, but…”

“Any idea on who it might be yet?” Penelope asked again.

“None,” Josie sighed, “All I know is that they’re in here because we both were hungry and needed to go eat,” Josie laughed as she took her last spoonful of yogurt. She picked up the croissant that Penelope had given to her and ripped off a piece to eat. 

“Well, I better get going. I have a few more things to take care of this morning,” Penelope sighed and stood from her seat, “Enjoy your chocolate croissant.”

“I will. They’re my favorite. Thank you,” Josie smiled.

“No problem” Penelope winked and then walked off towards the exit of the dining hall. 

Josie felt a small blush cross her face. These kinds of interactions were exactly what Josie had wanted with Penelope for years. She was just too scared of being rejected or ignored by the popular witch. But if this morning showed Josie anything, it was that her perceptions of Penelope were very wrong. Penelope had brought Josie food when Josie was grumpy about the wolves eating everything. Penelope listened to her opinions with interest and continued a conversation even though Penelope’s friends were waving for her to come back to them. And the wink... The wink that drove the butterflies in Josie’s stomach wild, was something Josie had never expected to get from Penelope. Maybe it was just Penelope being funny, maybe it wasn’t. All Josie knew was that whatever she was feeling at that moment, needed to be pushed to the back of her mind, and quickly. 

Once Josie finished her croissant, she got up and went back to her room to continue talking to her new stranger friend. She wanted to push the thoughts of Penelope out of her mind until she could really think about what she was going to do if the girl continued giving her that kind of attention. For now, it was just two conversations and nothing more. Josie didn’t want to get her hopes up only for them to come crashing down if she was right about her original thoughts on Penelope. 

To distract herself, Josie opened her journal back up and checked to see if her new stranger friend had come back yet. Another small smile crossed her face when she saw new writing on the pages.

\----------------------

Penelope fell onto her stomach on her bed and opened up her journal. 

_ Hey, I’m back. _

Penelope only had to wait a few more moments until a reply was inscribed on the page below her own handwriting.

**How was breakfast?**

_ Really good. Got there just in time! The wolves came hungry this morning, but I managed to get in line before them. _

**Lucky… I managed to get yogurt and that's about it.**

_ Oof…  _

**Yeah, but one of my… friends(?) gave me a bit of their food, so that made my morning a bit better.**

_ Friends(?) _

**Well, we’re not really friends. I haven't actually talked to her since she first got to this school. But we’ve run into each other a few times the last few days so I don’t really know what to call her.**

_ Well, I’m sure she’d be happy to be your friend. Although I don’t know you much, you seem like a really cool person. Maybe try to build the friendship a bit more now that you two have talked again? _

**I don’t know if that's such a good idea.**

_ Why not? _

**It’s complicated…**

_ Well, I’ve got all the time in the world and I’m a great listener. _

**It’s just that I’m not the kind of person she would be friends with. She’s the super pretty popular girl and I’m just me. I don’t really want to put myself out there only to be shot down and laughed at by all of her friends.**

_ But you said that she gave you food and that you talked. That doesn’t sound like the bitchy kind of person you’re scared she might be. And please, stop saying that you're just you… I know we haven’t talked much but you are evidently more than just “you”. You're interesting, you’re funny, you're smart, you’re sweet… In my opinion, you’re the kind of person that everyone would want as a friend. _

\------------------

Josie was back in her room and talking to her stranger friend. A blush took over her face as she read the most recent message from the anonymous writer. 

**Thank you...**

_ Give it a try. And if she hurts you, I’ll beat her up. _

Josie giggled at the stranger's response. It was one thing to compliment Josie, but threatening to beat up Penelope Park was another thing. There was a rumor that people who have messed with Penelope in the past have woken up with scabies and Josie didn’t want her new friend to have to go through that torture. She didn’t think the rumor was true because although Penelope was known as the HWIC or HBIC, she wasn’t as bad as most people portrayed her to be. Josie had been watching Penelope from afar for years, wanting and wishing to be closer to her, to possibly be someone to Penelope. And in those years, she had seen so many different sides of Penelope. The sweet side, the mean side, the arrogant side, and now this morning, the caring side. So maybe her stranger friend was right, maybe she should give Penelope a chance. She seemed to be trying with Josie these past few days, so Josie figured she could put in some effort too and see where it goes. And if it went bad, Josie had a new friend that had her back.

**Okay… I’ll try to talk to her tomorrow.**

_ Good. Let me know how it goes. I’m invested now! _

**Okay!**

**So what are your plans for today?**

_ Harry Potter Marathon, I think. I don’t really feel like leaving my room today lol. _

**I love Harry Potter!!! What’s your house??**

_ Slytherin. And you? _

**Hufflepuff!!**

_ HA! Of course you are _

**Hey… Hufflepuffs are awesome.**

_ No doubt about it. And Slytherins and Hufflepuffs get along quite well, so it looks like we were destined to be friends :P _

Josie laughed again at the stranger’s antics. Whoever it was, she seemed nerdy and dorky and kind, opposite of what most would think a Slytherin is. But Josie only knew that much about the stranger. She wanted to know the more cunning, calculated, and ambitious sides of the stranger. 

**You’re a dork, not a Slytherin hahaha**

_ Slytherins aren’t all bad, we just… misunderstood. Just wait until we meet… then you’ll see. Us Slytherins can have a dorky side too! _

**I can’t wait**

Their conversation continued throughout the day and into the night. Josie’s stranger was updating her on what movie she was on and what her favorite parts were. Josie got a bit of homework done throughout the day while all of this was happening. 

\--------------------

The following day, Josie stopped at the library on her way back from the dining hall. She ducked into the shelves on a mission to find a specific book. Just as she rounded the corner, Josie’s back hit the ground with a thud.

“Shit…” She said under her breath. A helping hand appeared in front of her face and Josie took a hold of it to help herself up.

“You know… That’s the second time this week that you’ve fallen for me Jojo,” Josie heard Penelope say as she helped Josie up, “Is there something you’re trying to tell me?”

Josie rolled her eyes with a small smile, “I’m sorry. I was looking for a book and wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Penelope smiled back. She looked up and down Josie’s body before saying, “Are you okay, though? Did you get hurt?”

“No, I’m okay,” Josie sighed, “My pride is a little bruised now though.” 

“So, what book were you looking for?” Penelope asked.

“Pride and Prejudice,” Josie responded.

“That’s a good one. Have you read it before?” Penelope wondered.

“No. I’ve never read any Jane Austen, but I’d like to start,” Josie explained, “A friend of mine is a big Austen fan, so I figured I’d give it a shot.”

“Your friend has good taste,” Penelope chuckled, “Come with me,” She advised Josie.

Josie followed Penelope through the stacks until the shorter girl came to a full stop in front of a shelf full of tattered books. Josie watched as Penelope’s finger traces the spines of each book. After a moment, Penelope tapped the spine of a book and then pulled it off the shelf and handed it to Josie.

“Here,” Penelope offered.

“Thank you,” Josie replied, taking the book from Penelope’s hand. 

“When you’re done with this one, and if you liked it, you should read Persuasion,” Penelope explained, “It’s one of my favorites. It was Austen’s last book before she died and she basically wrote herself a happy ending. She died a spinster, alone and unmarried, having lost the love of her life because of her father’s vanity. Persuasion was her version of her second chance. It’s an incredible read and it keys you in on a lot about Jane Austen herself.”

“I didn’t know you liked classic literature so much,” Josie chuckled.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Jojo,” Penelope smirked, “Maybe one day, you’ll want to find out more.”

“What if I already do?” Josie whispered, just loud enough for Penelope to hear. Josie’s heart was pounding in her chest. She had never been this blunt or this honest before, especially not with someone like Penelope. 

“Finish the book and then come find me,” Penelope smiled and then turned to walk away. She left Josie standing in the aisles of shelves with a growing smile on her face and an added reason to finish Pride and Prejudice quickly.

\-------------------

_ So? Did you talk to her? _

Penelope watched the pages carefully, waiting for her new friend to respond. She and her new friend hadn’t talked much yesterday, just a quick good morning and a few sporadic messages throughout the day. Today though, Penelope wanted to ask about the  _ friend(?) _ as the stranger put it.

**I did…**

_ And…? _

**She’s nice.**

_ That’s it? Just “she’s nice”? _

**Okay… and maybe I like her. Maybe I’ve had this small crush for a while and that’s why I never wanted to talk to her.**

_ Ugh, you’re killing me, stranger… What did you two talk about? _

**She recommended a few books. I think you two would get along. She likes Jane Austen as well. She convinced me to read Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion.**

Penelope stared at the page for a few moments. Little parts of their conversations over the last few days were starting to piece together. First, the incident in the dining hall where her new friend was only able to get yogurt but someone stepped in and saved the day. Penelope had done that exact thing to Josie that morning. Then there was the fact that this friend(?) had been someone with a reputation similar to Penelope’s. That reputation wasn’t something Penelope particularly liked about herself, but it got her through school without any problems. And now, this friend was a Jane Austen fan who happened to recommend the two books that Penelope had just recommended to Josie the previous day.

If all of this was what Penelope was suspecting it to be, the stranger on the other end of the journal was Josie. And if that was the case, Josie just admitted to Penelope that she liked her without knowing it was Penelope on the other end.

With a small laugh at the irony of the situation, Penelope decided to continue their conversation as if she didn’t know who she was talking to, and to try to pry some more information out of her penpal to see if her suspicions were correct.

_ Have you started either of them? _

**I finished Pride and Prejudice last night. I couldn’t put it down! And started Persuasion this morning.**

_ What are your thoughts on Anne Elliot so far? _

**She’s relatable, I’ll tell you that. I don’t think I’ve related to a character more in my life. Anne’s sister, Elizabeth, definitely reminds me of my own sister. I’d never tell her that, but she does. The way Elizabeth treats her is terrible but really familiar.**

_ So I’m guessing you don’t have the best relationship with your family? _

**You’d never really know it… I’m pretty good at putting on a brave face and just pretending nothing bothers me.**

_ That’s not very healthy… _

**I know, but I’m trying to work on it.**

_ Well, if it’s any consolation, I’ll never treat you that way. _

**Thank you, stranger :)**

_ I’m going to head to bed now. Talk tomorrow? _

**Definitely. Goodnight!**

**\--------------------**

“Penelope!” Josie shouted across the hall. The girl in question stopped walking and turned towards the sound.

“Hey, Jojo,” Penelope smiled and walked towards the taller girl.

“I finished!” Josie said excitedly, “I couldn’t put them down. Why haven’t I read these before?”

“I don’t know,” Penelope laughed, “But I’m glad you started!”

“And I agree, while Pride and Prejudice was wonderfully amazing, Persuasion just hit differently. I really enjoyed it,” Josie explained.

“I’m glad,” Penelope laughed at the taller girl’s excitement, ”I can recommend more if you’d like.”

“I’d love that,” Josie said, “But first, I’d like to cash in on your offer.”

“And what offer was that?” Penelope smirked and raised an eyebrow in wonder.

“Well, if you’re free, maybe we could hang out for a bit,” Josie suggested. Her cheeks were getting red and her voice was slightly shaky, but she stood her ground and tried to seem unphased by the presence of the pretty witch staring at her.

“I’d like that,” Penelope said with a soft smile that Josie had never seen before, “I was just headed to the library. Do you want to join me?”

“Yeah,” Josie replied. Penelope nodded towards the end of the hallway, asking Josie to follow her. They walked side by side to the library and when they got there, Penelope led her to the back corner that she claimed as ‘her spot’.

“If you ever need to find me, this is probably where I am,” Penelope laughed, plopping down in one of the armchairs and pointing for Josie to sit in the one next to her, “Don’t tell anyone else though. This is where I go to get away from everyone.”

“Then why’d you tell me about it?” Josie asked, “If this is your secret hiding spot, you’re doing a really bad job at keeping it a secret,” Josie chuckled.

“Because you’re one of the few people that don’t bother me,” Penelope sighed. She kicked her feet up onto the coffee table in front of the chairs and leaned her head backward.

“You barely know me,” Josie laughed, “How could you possibly know that I don’t bother you?”

“We may have only started talking,” Penelope started, “But I’ve kept my eyes on you for a while now,” Penelope paused, “Sorry, that sounded a little stalker-ish. I just meant that although you try to blend into the background and get stuck in your sister’s shadow, I’ve always seen you. And from what I’ve seen, you’d never be a bother.”

Josie stared at Penelope for a moment, completely caught off guard by what the shorter girl had just told her. Penelope was right in her assumptions. Josie did get stuck in her sister’s shadow and she did try to blend into the background. She did this because, in the beginning, it was easier that way, but then over time it became too hard and too scary to try to change it. Josie had always been a little unsettled by just how easily she was forgotten or talked over, but now hearing that Penelope, of all people, had been paying attention, had seen her, it made Josie smile.

“No one has ever said something like that to me before,” Josie whispered.

“Well, if your willing to keep me around… you should get used to it,” Penelope smiled that soft smile again.

The two of them sat silently for a few minutes, just looking at each other. No words were needed, the silence was comfortable. Josie couldn’t get over the fact that Penelope was in no way the kind of person she thought she would be. Penelope couldn’t help but wonder why Josie didn't see herself the way that Penelope did. 

When the silence, although comfortable, got too much to bear, Penelope spoke again, “So you said you wanted to get to know me more.”

“I do,” Josie answered.

“What do you want to know?” Penelope asked.

Josie tapped her chin in thought for a moment before asking, “What’s your Hogwarts house?”

“Of all the things that you could have asked, you want to know what house I’m a part of?” Penelope laughed.

“It’s a very important question. It’s a great way to determine compatibility,” Josie joked.

“First you’re falling all over me, literally, and now you’re trying to determine compatibility with Harry Potter? You’re an interesting individual, Jojo,” Penelope teased.

“Shut up,” Josie scolded, “You know what I meant.”

“I’m a Slytherin,” Penelope replied, giving Josie a break from her teasing.

“Hmm,” Josie hummed.

“What?” Penelope asked.

“It’s just that I never really thought about how a Slytherin and a Hufflepuff could get along so well. Such opposites that I didn’t think they’d attract,” Josie explained, “That is until a friend of mine told me that Slytherin’s are just misunderstood.”

And that was all Penelope needed to hear to confirm her suspicions of Josie being her secret pen pal. Penelope grinned at the thought that she and Josie had been conversing more than they both thought they had been. That Josei accidentally admitted to having a crush on Penelope without knowing it was Penelope that she was talking to. That the crush wasn’t only one-sided because Penelope had had a crush on Josie for years and was finally getting to know her now. Finally getting to know two sides of Josie, the side that Josie was willing to show and the side that Josie would write to her with. The irony of the situation was quite comical to Penelope.

“Your friend sounds pretty smart,” Penelope smirked, “I’d love to meet them someday.”

Josie seemed completely oblivious to the connections that Penelope had made when she said, “I think you two would get along. She loves classic literature and is a Slytherin as well,” Josie paused for a moment and Penelope briefly thought that maybe Josie was making the connection as well, but then Josie continued, “Then again if I introduce you two, I might lose you both to each other. So maybe I’ll be selfish for once and keep you both to myself.”

Penelope let out a quiet laugh, not wanting to disturb anyone in the library, “Don’t you worry Jojo, you’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

“Yeah?” Josie asked.

“Yeah,” Penelope confirmed.

\---------------------

**I have a problem…**

Josie wrote the single line in her journal and waited for her pen pal to respond. It was Thursday night, the evening before she and her pen pal stranger were supposed to meet. They had been talking less and less throughout the week because Josie had been spending most of her free time with Penelope. The stranger didn’t seem to mind it. She had been very supportive and had talked to Josie about each incident with nothing but happiness for her. Josie was beyond appreciative and even more excited to meet this stranger in person and thank them for being so good to her over the last week.

About 10 minutes into waiting for a response, Josie finally saw the charming scribbles appear across the page.

_ What’s up? _

**I like REALLY like her… And I don’t know what to do now. I can’t read her. She’s so stoic most of the time. I don’t know if she just wants to be friends or if she’s interested in me too. All I know if that I’ve always been so scared to talk to her and I was crushing from afar for years. And then she starts talking to me and we start hanging out and that crush just started to grow and I don’t know what to do.**

_ Well first, you need to calm down. I can tell your freaking out through the page. Second, if she’s so hard to read, why don’t you just ask her? _

**Because even if she doesn’t like me that way, I still want to be friends. You and she are the only people who actually see me… I mean, you don’t really because it’s only through this journal, but everyone else… I don’t know. They don’t see me. I’m just the shy girl who hides in her sister’s shadow. I get talked over and ignored, half the time I don’t even think people realize I exist. But with you and her, I do exist. And I don’t want to lose either of you.**

_ Well, I’m not going anywhere, that’s for sure. And if she’s smart, which I think she is, she won’t want to lose someone like you either. Talk to her and I think she’ll surprise you. _

**You really think so?**

_ I do. You’re a special one. Anyone willing to let you go is dumb. _

**Thank you…**

_ I mean it. _

**I know you do.**

_ So, tomorrow’s the big day. Are you nervous? _

**A little bit. But I’m more excited than nervous.**

_ Me too. Can I suggest a meeting spot? _

**Where are you thinking?**

_ Library, but the classic literature shelves. I have a book recommendation. _

**5 o’clock?**

_ Sounds like a plan :) _

Josie smiled at the response, closed her journal, and got under the covers of her bed. In less than 24 hours, she was going to meet the stranger that she had been sharing her every though with. She was going to meet a new friend who seemed to genuinely care about her, even though they barely knew her. Although she was nervous, she was beyond excited to finally feel like people saw her, understood her, and cared about her existence.

\------------------

_ I’m on my way _

Penelope wrote in the journal before throwing it in her bag and heading towards the library. She was nervous beyond belief. She wasn’t sure how Josie was going to react when she found out that it had been Penelope the whole time. How Josie would react when she realized that she had been confessing her feelings to the exact person she was crushing on, for an entire week. None of that mattered though, because Penelope planned to be completely honest with Josie when they met. She planned to tell Josie that she felt the same way.

Penelope walked through the doors of the library and let out a deep breath to prepare herself for what she was about to do. Penelope was never one to get nervous around girls since most girls fell all over her and she didn’t feel the need to be anything other than the facade that she always put up. But with Josie, it was different. She wanted to be the person she was in the journal, the person she was while they hung out alone. She didn’t want Josie to think that she really was who everyone thought she was.

Passing through the shelves and towards that back corner of the library where all of the classic literature books were, Penelope readjusted her bag on her shoulder. When she met Josie, she planned to give her the book she had talked about recommending in their last journal conversation. It was sitting on top of everything in her bag, ready to be taken out and presented.

After walking through the last aisle, Penelope looked up to see Josie waiting with her back turned. Penelope approached carefully, slowing until she was only a foot behind Josie.

“Hey, stranger,” Penelope said, just loud enough for Josie to head.

Josie whipped around at the familiar voice, “Pen! Hey,” Josie paused, contemplating her next few words, “I can’t really talk right now. I’m meeting with my pen pal in a few minutes.”

Penelope smiled at Josie’s oblivious nature, “I know,” She said.

Josie gave her a puzzled look before realization took over her face. With an embarrassed blush, Josie said, “It was you all along?”

“Yes,” Penelope whispered, waiting, just waiting for Josie to freak out.

“This whole time?” Josie asked again.

“Yes, but--” Josie interrupted before Penelope had a chance to continue.

“Is that why you started talking to me?” Josie yelled, obviously angry with Penelope for keeping this all a secret.

“No!” Penelope defended, “Not at all! I’ve wanted to talk to you for years! I didn’t even know it was you until a few days ago.”

“But you let me embarrass myself for days by telling you how much I liked you without even knowing that it was you the whole time?” Josie asked, “So you could do what? So you could come here and make fun of me or tell your friends all about how funny this was for you?”

“I’d never do that and you know it,” Penelope sighed.

“Then for what?” Josie asked angrily.

“I was waiting until I knew for sure, that I could get away with doing this,” Penelope took a step forward, closing the distance between herself and Josie. She grabbed the teller girl by the back of the neck and pulled her down until their lips met in a blistering kiss.

Kissing Josie today wasn’t in Penelope’s original plan, but seeing the girl upset and thinking that Penelope had only been playing her, changed things. Penelope didn’t know any other way to convince Josie of the truth other than to show her with the truest action she could. After a moment of shock, Josie’s lips began to move in harmony. Her hands found their way to Penelope’s shoulder and hip, pulling her in even closer than they already were. 

Penelope was the first to pull away, leaning her forehead on Josie’s, “I’m sorry. I just needed to do that.”

Josie let out a giggle, “I’m glad you did.”

“Me too,” Penelope laughed. She stepped back, putting just a few inches between herself and Josie, “I was also thinking that maybe we could discuss this,” She reached into her bag and pulled out a book, “On our first date?”

Josie looked down at the book in front of her, “Gone with the Wind?”

Penelope smiled and said, “It’s an epic romance with an incredibly strong female lead. I think you’ll connect to this character just as much as you did with Anne. Maybe she can teach you a thing or two about stepping out of the shadows and learning to love yourself,” Penelope explained before leaning up and placing another kiss on Josie’s lips, “And until you do, maybe I can do it for you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> And if you can't tell from this fic and my multi-chapter fic, I'm a complete classic lit nerd. Hit me up on twitter (@JojoPark7) if you want to talk about amazing books with me!
> 
> Oh and check out my other one shot, "When All of This is Over, Love Me Like There Ain't Another Day", which I posted for the Hufflepuffs too!


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